Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Beauty and the Beast

A tale as old as time. Disney's latest live-action princess movie features our beloved bookworm heroine, Belle, as she meets the Beast and finds the adventure she was looking for. There are many versions of the story, of course, beginning with the timeless tale from Ms. Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villenue.

I, myself, cannot stop repeating the soundtrack from the new movie, so I bought the deluxe edition to listen on repeat! The score is pretty fun to listen to while reading. :)


If you would like more of the story and are into alternate versions, here are some modern rewrites that may interest you:

  1. Cupid and Psyche
    1. Greek mythology--that doesn't have a tragic ending!
  2. Beastly by Alex Flinn
    1. There is also a movie out based on this book. It is equally as good as the book, I recommend reading the book and then watching the film!
  3. Belle by Cameron Dokey
    1. This Belle has a magic talent that helps her to help the Beast break his curse. This is a quick one day read.
  4. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
    1. I prefer the sequel, but that is because it is more Hades/Persephone than Beauty and the Beast.
  5. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge 
  6. East by Edith Pattou
    1. A bit Beauty and the Beast, a bit Snow Queen, yet equally pleasing and a fun read. I read the European published version, I am not sure how different it is from the U.S. published version. I do like the difference in book covers, though. :)
  7.  Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
    1. I love Jessica Day George! She has the cutest stories. This book is similar to East, but more for young adults than children. 
  8. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
    1. Of course this needs to be mentioned, especially with the Beast's new song "Evermore," giving him a bit of a "Phantom" moment!
 Is there a book that you think should be added to the list? Let me know, I would love to read another fairy tale retelling!